The Irish standard., 1887-09-17
PRESIDENTIAL JAUNTS.
Chief Magistrates Who Have
Taken Looks at the Country.

President NIonroc's Journey Through the
States and Andy Jackson's Visit to
New England Cleveland as
/ Traveller.
Although President Cleveland has trav
sled far less than most men who have
reached his years and have had his expert
ence in public affairs, he promises to make
good record as a tourist before the year is
over, writes the Washington correspondent
Of the Philadelphia Press. When be was
elected President he had never been furthe,
West than Cleveland, and the visit to that
city was made when he was a young man
He had visited Washington Oh business fo1
a day some ten years ago, but he had never
been in New England He was not fond Of
travel, and his business did not give many
opportunities to do 50 had he So desired.
| But he will, before Congress meets, have
f! visited the Canadian boundary and the far
| South: will have travelled the greater part
Of the Mississippi valley from St. Paul tc
st. Louis and visited most of the large cities
Of the West And it is his intention, or
hope, next year to &c to the Pacific slope.
The custom Of taking long excursions
through the country by Presidents is much
older than is generally believed. Washing
ton had seen pehtty much all of the Union
north of the Caroli1as before he became
President, and both John Adams and his
son, John Quincy Adams were great tray
elers for cheir time. Mr.. Jefferson and Mr..
Madison, however, seldom We're long away
from the capital and their longest trips
were those made to their country seats in
! Virginia.
! President Monroe was the first to con-
cei1-e the idea Of making an extensive Jour-
ney through the States while President, and
I! he undertook, during one Of the long vaca~
tons, TO travel nolthWard through New
England and then westward as far as Ohio.
! Itwas d tedious journey to make, far more
SO than an excursion to Oregon would now
be- Steamboats, were inst beginning TO ply
some of the rivers ana most of the turn
pixies We're badly kept. Mr. Monroe Travelled
IN his own coach in q very simple manner
No special invitations were extended to
him, but he was cordially received every
where, and was the first President that q
majority Of the American people eyer saw.
The sight Of a live President was iar
rarer at that time than it now is. Wherever
Mr. Monroe stopped great crowds gathered
from miles around to see MIN, and his sum-
mer Journey was the great sensation of that
year.
Andrew jackson was driven in his own
carriage oveG the line National road or
Cumberland road. as it was called, from
Nashville to Washington, some six hundred
miles, when he went to assume the Presi-
dency. He was exceedingly fond OF driv-
ing, and he Kept a fine stud. When ne pro-
posed to take a summer ja1l1,t into New En-
gland, the naneless opposition-for the
term y hig had not then been adopted
raised 81 great cry, which seemed only the
more firmly to determine Old Hickory to
go. lie had never neon in New England
or, indeed, anywhere in the North. The re-
port that he was to visit these portions Of
the country created the greatest excitement
everywhere, and great preparations were
made to receive him. He rode in fine style
in his own coach. and, it is said, on several
occasions six horses were attached to it,
Ill along the country roads people gathered,
many Of them waiting patiently to see him
pass.
Andy Johnson was; the first Of recent
Presidents to make long Journey through
The country. This was done not because CT
any special invitation. but of his own wish
Whether the speeches chat he delivered
during that trip from the open carriage in
which he was driven through many large
towns were in contemplation when he quit
ted Washington or not is not known. But
they were delivered upon the slightest op
portullity, and were SC personal and so free
" discussed public affairs as to excite the
widest attention. A thing like this had new
er been done before and never since. John
son turned his back On that unwritten law
Of the White House that requires whatever
communications Presidents have to make to
the people to be guar0edly and most digni-
fedly done in writing. Johnson's excnr-
sion was not a pure pleasure trip. He meant
business. He wished to explain his policy,
though this method OF doing it was against
the advice Of his best friends.
Grant was great traveller. He was pas
sionate]y fond Of travel, and he was most
democratic in his manner of travelling
After the war and during his incumbency
Of the Presidency he visited almost every
part Of the Union. The Pullman parlor car
was just beginning to be used on the rail
ways, and Grants favorite place was in the
rear, near the window, from which he was
accustomed to look upon the country with a
most observant eye. Receptions were a
bore TO him. and once, when on visit to
New Haven, it was with considerable diff
Guilty that he could be induced to leave a
seat under a tree in the yard Of the late
Henry Farnham, where he was smoking
cigar and chatting with delightful infor-
mality, to attend great reception where
many thousands were waiting for him.
"Ar ali events,'' said he, slet me smoke
another cigar before go"
Hayes was a good deal of a traveller, and,
except Grant, was the only President to
visit the Pacific slope
General Arthur was fond Of travel, but
abhoret public receptions. His two pro-
longed trips, one into the wilds of Florida
and the other into the Yellowstone Park,
We're made as privately as it was possible to
do it. And he greatly enjoyed the freedom
from conventional restraints of dress and
customs.
Mr. Cleveland, in the little travelling he
has done, finds the confinement even of the
palace cars irksome, and whenever he can
do SO he travels at night. He is the sound |
est of sleepers in a car, but has queer
habit of getting up as soon as dawn lightens
up the window When travelling in the day
time he frequently sits for hours, neither
looking to the right nor left, but calmly
staring ahead. as though his mind were with
other subjects than those naturally sug-
gesred by travel